SSS 2009-05-20

（单词翻译）

This is Scientific American’s 60-second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer. Got a minute?       

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard¹ and a fearsome predator². It has long been thought that some of its hunting prowess was due to a mouth teeming³ with bacteria. An attack that didn't immediately kill the dragon’s victim, often a deer but sometimes a person, would cause fatal bacterial⁴ infections. But a report released May 18th by the Proceedings⁵ of the National Academy of Sciences finds a more likely cause of death. The animal has evolved a “sophisticated combined arsenal⁶ killing⁷ apparatus”.

First, the animal has razor-sharp serrated teeth, perfect for tearing flesh and causing massive wounds, but wait, there’s more. When the researchers performed an MRI of the dragon, they found in its jaws⁸ what they called the most structurally⁹ complex reptile¹⁰ venom¹¹ gland¹² known. The gland has openings between the lizard’s teeth and releases chemicals that both dilate¹³ blood vessels¹⁴ and prevent blood clotting¹⁵. The inevitable¹⁶ result is massive blood loss. This new information does help to clean up the foul-mouthed reputation of the Komodo dragon, but it is little solace¹⁷ for its unfortunate prey¹⁸.
Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer.

"Would you tell us a little bit more about the Komodo dragon, Doctor?"
"Happy to.  The Komodo dragon is the world's largest living lizard. It's a ferocious¹⁹ kind of ora, found on the steep-sloped Island of Komodo, in the Lesser²⁰ Sunda chain of the Indonesian Archipelago and the nearby islands of Rinca, Padar and Floras²¹."

“Where do they come from?"